The Impact of Hydropower Dams on California's Populations of Anadromous Fish: What Can Be Done to Mitigate the Dams Effects and Restore California's Watersheds.

3.5 million miles of water run throughout the United States; and since the country’s conception, over 80,000 dams have impounded 600,000 miles of these waters [1]. Dams were originally constructed to provide water to towns and establishes energy sources for mills and later hydroelectric plants. Because these dams were constructed decades ago, they’re reaching a critical point of obsoleteness where they cause more harm than good. Dam removal is increasingly popular across the country to address the ecological problems including habitat loss and sedimentation, despite potential for downstream harm, removing dams is more environmentally and economically cost effective than upgrading them. The Marmot, Glines Canyon, and Elwha river dam removal projects each highlight different challenges of dam removal, but overall

In 1935 the Hoover Dam was completed forming Lake Mead, providing flood control, reservoir storage, power generation and regulates the downstream flow to the Lower Basin States. [footnoteRef:20] In 1963, the Glen Canyon Dam was completed forming Lake Powell, providing the Upper Basin States with enough reserve capacity to allow them to meet their annual obligation of 7.5 Million Acre Feet (MAF) to the Lower Basin States, allowing the Lower Basin States to use the allocation.[footnoteRef:21] As a consequence of the construction of the Hoover Dam and the Glen Canyon Dam, the Colorado?s flow often evaporated in Mexican sands close to the Delta.[footnoteRef:22] Around the 1970s, the Cienega de Santa Clara had shrunken by 500 acres. Nevertheless, due to the following wet decades, the Cienega was resuscitated to about 10% of its original acreage in the 80?s and 90?s.[footnoteRef:23] Currently, the Cienega is a 40,000 acre wetland that exists due to the return flows from the Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District near Yuma, Arizona.[footnoteRef:24] This Cienega is the home of less than 100 members of the Cucapa tribe and is the habitat of several endangered fish and birds, including Desert Pupfish and Yuma Clapper Rail.[footnoteRef:25] [19: D.F.

Dams represent a tame and modernized world. They hold back once wild and raging rivers, keeping them calm and as placid as a lake. All the inhabitants in the newly dammed lake are also tamed just like the people of Calamus and all over Oregon. Wade really helps to show this point after a conversation with Jesse. He thinks,“I couldn’t shake the idea of the millpond and those landlocked salmon we used to see there. If people were salmon, they’d be like those stunted lost relatives of Old Man Chinook” (194). This shows that the people of Calamus are like landlocked salmon, trapped behind a taming dam. The civilized people are just “shadows” of the old world people. Just as landlocked salmon are just shadows of the wild salmon they used to be. This idea is expanded by Jesse’s efforts to blow up the dam. Jesse believes that the dam has tamed the landlocked salmon. So he feels obligated to help them become wild once more. The modernized world has had the same effect on the Native Americans as it did on the landlocked salmon. They have become stunted in their souls. Lawrence, the best Native American fisherman around, who doesn't talk anymore because his voice has been stunted by modern society. Just like the salmon are physically stunted by the dam the native americans are stunted by

Beside these arguments, there is also a more quantitative side to the debate. The ecological detriments of the Glen Canyon Dam have been well-documented. Extensive changes were brought about in the Colorado River ecosystem by the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam. Most of these alterations negatively affected the functioning of the system and the native aquatic species of the river. The reduced supply and transport of

The future of California is pretty good, for the state is projected to see growth in almost every sector of the economy as well as the population, but there are many concerns that must be addressed first in order to see California’s growth come to fruition. International trade and business is one of California’s largest industries and it’s expected to continue increasing, for many emerging economies are also located off of the Pacific Ocean. Growth in the economy is good, but requires resources that California has a limited supply of. The main resource California always needs is water, since most of the state’s population resides in the southern regions, which are arid and receive minimal precipitation annually. The state is planning on improving efficiency and the aqueduct system to increase the water supply while decrease the environmental effects California’s aqueduct’s have on regions like the San Joaquin River Delta. For many years California has been considered a very liberal and left state, which is due to the fact that the state has the toughest environmental legislation in the country. With such strong legislation ensuring the protection of the environment California has become a model state in the fight against climate change, and must remain vigilant for there are numerous species endemic to the state that are found nowhere else on the planet. Though there are numerous other factors’ affecting California’s future these are some of the most interesting areas to

“One, it’s tied to putting salmon back in the river. Two, there is no funding for dams or river recirculation technology that would maximize Sierra water runoff and lessen the economic devastation to some San Joaquin Valley farmers.” (McEwen 1)

California?s Indians are popularly viewed as static remnants of ancient Stone-Age peoples. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Before and after the advent of whites in their lands, native cultures constantly changed and adapted to shifting social and ecological conditions. (Rice, 31)

Yet, humans have limited control on natural events, so this only reinforces the importance of managing water wisely. Recently California’s government has begun to focus more on sustaining and restoring the water supply. Dale Kasler (2016) articulates in his article some of the steps they have decided to make to solve this serious issue. The government has made the following investments: “$415 million for watershed restoration and other environmental aid for Lake Tahoe; up to $335 million for two proposed reservoirs in California, including the Sites reservoir north of Sacramento; $880 million for flood-control projects on the American and Sacramento rivers in Sacramento; and $780 million for flood-control projects in West Sacramento” (para. 10). This could be the first step to restoring the water to California. But these

“Change in the timing and amount of stream flows and spring and seep discharges will affect a wide range of wildlife species, livestock, and wild horses and burros. Water availability from these sources could dry up earlier in the summer as a result of the early melt of the snowpack causing increased competition for water and forage across the landscape. Pipelines and troughs installed by BLM and livestock permits that provide water for livestock, wild horses, and wildlife species over tens of millions of acres may have a reduced capacity to meet these needs” (Pellant). “The Great Basin Desert is home to more than 77,000 mountainous acres of land, 5 distinctive habitats, 71 different kinds of mammals, 18 types of reptiles, and 800 different plant species” (Grange). With all this changing it will be difficult for the desert’s water to meet animal and nature’s needs for life. One animal this has an effect on is the Bull Trout an endangered fish and facing extinction in this desert

For centuries the Nooksack tribe located in Northwest Washington has been dependent on the wilderness for survival. Originally defined as a horticultural community, the Nooksack people have used their knowledge the land to support their daily necessities of food and shelter. Salmon runs in the nearby Nooksack River, named after the local tribe, continue to be a steady source of protein for the tribe up to this day. However, this way of life has lately been threatened by the diminishing glaciers of nearby Mount Baker. In order to understand the significance this event has to the culture of the Nooksack tribe, we must first look at how their culture has changed in the past, how it would possibly change in response to the glacial thinning and what the reemergence of Mount Baker may mean for future Nooksack generations.

Anthropologist Lowell J. Bean has described the California Indians as “non-political, ethnic nationalities.” Tribes consisted of “triblets”, with each triblet including a group of neighboring villages ranging from hundreds to several thousands individuals. Social classes almost were non-existent, except in the northwest where personal wealth was a common practice.

But overfishing - combined with a loss of habitat and the construction of dams in tributaries, which prevented spawning – has nearly exterminated the species, leading non-profit and government agencies to coordinate programs in hopes of restoring the numbers.

With human development, industrial pollution and other factors all contribute to the deteriorated condition of the river, which makes it difficult to determine the dams’ environmental impact in isolation. CITE That said, the current operations of the dam hamper and potentially prevent environmental improvement of the Colorado. In order to preserve some semblance of the Colorado ecosystem, man must restore the natural processes that created the ecosystem. The real question is how to do that, whether via dam decommission or a less extreme policy change.

There are many ethical arguments surrounding aquaculture. The salmon industry in the United States has many ethical concerns in relation to farmed salmon. This paper will first discuss the salmon industry, then discuss specific ethical issues facing farmed salmon, and finally review any laws, regulations or relief efforts in place to reduce these ethical concerns, or that aggravate these concerns.

INTRODUCTION: Water assets building is growing massively today. Dams have the most vital part in using water assets. They were developed taxing year before increasing present data about hydrology and hydro mechanics. All through the historical backdrop of the world, dams have been utilized effectively as a part of gathering, putting away and overseeing water expected to manage human advancement. Dams have a lot of positive and negative impacts on the earth. Their advantages like controlling stream administration, subsequently forestalling surges, getting local and water system water from put away water and creating vitality from hydro control. While dam give noteworthy advantage to our general public, their effect on the encompassing incorporates resettlement and migration, financial effect, natural concerns, sedimentation issue, security angles and so on. Notwithstanding their vital social and natural advantages, it is vital to minimize the negative impacts of the hoover dam on the earth with respect to feasible advancement.